Update: Plant Health News (25 Sep 13)
We’ve selected a few of the latest stories about plant health. Records this week include the identification of plants’ natural defense mechanisms against pests, the first report of tomato yellow spot virus in Brazil and recordings of foliar necrosis of potato in India.
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (18 Sep 13)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include new rust species and hosts from Northern Pakistan, Colletotrichum species associated with cultivated citrus in China and the identification and comparison of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with dieback and stem-end rot of mango…
A Tale of Two Worlds: Favourable Projections, Looming Dearth
It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the season of plenty, it is the season of famine – in short, it is that time when the positive medium term outlook for world agriculture is tempered by the “usual suspects.” For the fourth month running, the FAO Food Price…
Days are numbered for pests in Kenya’s irrigation schemes
Report by Peter Karanja and Abigail Rumsey Between May and July this year, 22 new plant clinics were established in Kenya. Nine of these clinics were launched by the Smallscale Horticulture Development Project (SHDP), which has been funded by the African Development Bank to help smallholder farmers increase the amount that they produce and earn…
Warming Climate Marches Pests and Pathogens Polewards
The distribution of plant pests and pathogens has been observed to be moving away from the equator towards the North and South poles and inhabit areas previously too cold for their existence. This threatens to increase the percentage of crops lost annually to pests and pathogens and subsequently raises major concerns over global food security. A…
Update: Plant Health News (11 Sep 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including using hot water to control Monilinia rots on peaches and nectarines, stem borers causing concern for Indian farmers and the use of new yield-improving technology being used by Ghanaian mango farmers. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health…
IPPC and Plantwise Collaboration initiated with a Rome Secondment
As part of our recent efforts to improve collaboration on joint activities, CABI Plantwise is delighted to announce an agreement with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to initiate secondments between the two organizations, and thereby increase transparency and effectiveness. Katherine Cameron, Knowledge Bank Development Manager for Plantwise, has joined the IPPC secretariat at the FAO…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (04 Sep 13)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include the first report of Cherry leaf roll virus in Darrow’s Blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii), the first report of fruit stem anthracnose of Kiwifruit caused by Glomerella septospora in China and a new genus…
Record crop losses cost the United States $17.3B last year
Over $17 billion was spent in 2012 on farm insurance claims for destroyed crops in the U.S., up from an average of $4.1 billion per year from 2001 until 2011. This record-breaking jump in insurance pay-outs was in large part due to extreme weather conditions over the past growing season. Drought, heat and hot wind accounted…